This Man Makes Friends By Throwing Bottled Messages Into The Atlantic Ocean

For two decades, a man in his early 60s named Harold Hackett has spent throwing bottles containing messages into the Atlantic hoping to be in contact with people from far-flung shores.

image source

Hackett claims that his hobby began in 1996 with a glass Pepsi bottle he threw overboard while fishing. That first bottle includes his name and address and requested a response.

image source

image source

After receiving his first response, He started using colorful papers and put the messages to orange or cranberry juice bottles. He carefully put dates and checks the wind and tides before throwing the bottles on the shore.

image source

For two decades, Harold Hackett has sent out 4,800 bottles and has received 3,100 responses from all over the world including France, Africa, Bahamas and Germany. He claims that he keeps in touch with these people.

image source

‘I usually get about 150 Christmas cards (from people who found bottles) souvenirs, Christmas gifts.’ He said in an interview with the BBC

Hackett has no plan of stopping his hobby. He plans to continue tossing bottled messages and hopes to receive few thousand more responses in the process.

‘I don’t think I’m going to finish until I shut my eyes for good. I’m going t go a long as I can’ he said.